For Now We See in a Mirror, Darkly
Review of the Amazon First Reads Kindle eBook edition (May 1, 2024), released in advance of the official publications by Thomas & Mercer in Paperback/eBook & Brilliance Audio Audiobook (June 1, 2024)

Follower_in_the_Distance is in the danger zone, the territory that leads to trouble, what one of Maddie’s therapists called “disorganized thinking,” the slow slide that can precede a psychotic episode. She can see it, with her own experience and years of therapy behind her. She can see it, so shouldn’t she do something about it?

I didn't spend a lot of time reading the background on In a Dark Mirror when I selected it for my May 2024 full-length choice of Amazon Prime First Reads. It was the "suspense" selection. I liked the cover design. I liked the title's allusion to I Corinthians 13:12. I liked the promo's allusion to Nietzsche. That was it.

See image at https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/aplus-media/sota/748299d3-1b40-49c0-800d-e71...
Promo image for "In a Dark Mirror." Image sourced from Amazon.

Reading further into it, I looked back at the synopsis information and saw that it was inspired by a true life crime which I won't link to here as it is both a spoiler but because it may also lead to certain expectations.

12 year-olds Maddie and Lana committed a horrendous crime in 2007. In 2017, Maddie obtains an early release from the psychiatric institution where she has been held for 10 years. Lana is apparently sentenced to a life of incarceration. If Maddie doesn't adhere to the release conditions, she is in danger of being re-institutionalized. One of the conditions is to not engage in matters relating to the crime on social media. But Maddie is drawn to a chatroom which apparently consists of acolytes to the original crime. And they may be set on committing a similar crime. Can the rehabilitated Maddie stop it in time?

I don't read a lot of domestic or psychological suspense thrillers, but I found myself completely engaged in Maddie's journey back from the darkness. The book did not strike me as exploitative at all and its various POVs from both 2007 and 2017 felt very real and sensitive. The two timelines build in suspense even though we supposedly know from the start how one of them ended. The 2017 timeline then provides several twists to totally throw off your expectations. I thought it was all very well structured and impressive for a first novel.

Trivia and Links
This is the first novel from Kat Davis which appears to be the penname of Kathleen Solomon (based on the Copyright information). Her other works of short fiction have appeared in journals and her flash fiction The Babysitter was published in The Best Small Fictions 2022.

Amazon Prime First Reads advance reading copies (ARCs) are available to Amazon Prime subscribers. They offer advance reads of books in Kindle eBook format one month before the date of official release. The current month's selection is available here (Link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region). ( )